What'd you think?

So, Birdman and I recently re-friended one another on Steam, and got to talking. After a little while of describing my college life to him, he told me a bit of what he'd been up to of late, and his new Carnage! rulebook popped out of the woodwork.

His aim (at least as I understand it) was to create an FPS in paper-n-pencil RPG format. The system is heavily influenced by Brikwars, Shadowrun, and various other RPG titles, and includes elements of RAGE and Borderlands (I won't a post a link to the rules yet, since I dunno whether or not Birdman wants you guys to see it yet or not, but if I get the OK from him I will do so later on).

The opportunity came along the day after (I think) for me to help him playtest it, as I expressed my interest in the system and the setting. Permission granted, we set a date for the first session, and I set about making my character. I let a few concepts stew in my head for a little while, and then finally sat down and wrote him out in earnest during Math class. Here's what I ended up with, without all of the crunch:

Olly's First Carnage! Character wrote:A brief description: Sasha Khurev is a decently built bald man of average size, sporting a fairly nondescript face. His defining feature is the handgun at his side. In appearance, it's an unwieldy and top-heavy weapon, but he uses it with an unexpected ease and grace. The shots it fires bear similarities to shotgun rounds, and it seems to tear through most conventional armors like paper.

Some fluff (copy+paste'd from the e-mail containing my character): Born on the Belt to a grizzled adventurer and his wedlock wife, Sasha was quickly deemed "simple." His early years were spent completely oblivious to anything he was taught, much to the dismay of his parents. He was on the verge of being considered mentally incapable, outcast and left in the hands of the wilds, when he finally spoke his first word after 5 years of life: "gun." The father took this as a sign that there was some hope, and fought his wife over the issue. Eventually it was decided that the father would take custody of the child, and the woman would divorce him and forget that it had ever happened, thus "cleaning" herself of her supposedly incompetent child.

Sasha's father taught him a great many things, but most of what stuck with Sasha were the lessons on handling firearms. It became almost immediately apparent to the father that Sasha's reflexes and physique lent themselves well to the heat of combat. Lessons in mathematics, sciences, and linguistics all fell on deaf ears, and eventually the father gave up on these and simply focused solely on Sasha's combat capabilities. By the age of 14, Sasha was quite a formidable opponent.

One weapon in particular seemed to become the boy; an artifact of a gun that the father had found on one of his exploits, presumably lost Fabricator technology. The gun was a light pistol that seemed to shoot buckshot-esque rounds and was very good at chewing through armor. It became Sasha's favorite gun, and for lack of a better use, the father let his son keep it.

Eventually the father, beset by a fit of wanderlust, commandeered his ship and set out to continue his old ways. He took his son with him, and he proved to be quite beneficial to many of the various jobs the father took on from prospectors, pirates, and anyone else willing to pay for his services. This continued for number of years, eventually leading to the father's death, leaving a 17-year-old Sasha to fend for himself with his father's ship and an antique handgun.

In an attempt to continue his father's legacy (for lack of a better idea), he shipped off to Luna, where he knew his father had conducted much of his business. He now works as a freelancer, doing anything that pays.

What follows is the mostly complete log of the playtest, trimmed slightly. I tried to mesh multi-posts into a single block where it was appropriate to do so, and get rid of the excess chatter, or abbreviate it. Commentary is in red italics, DM speech is in bold. Artie's text (you'll meet him in a few minutes if you read down) will be in green.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Your time on Luna has been well-spent so far, and after completing a number of jobs freelancing, you find yourself in a pretty good position. You've got an apartment of your own, connections in the police force and a few minor gangs, and life is, in general, pleasant. However, expenses have begun to creep up again, and you've been forced to take what is apparently a larger job than normal as a favor from an old friend. However, the payout is larger than normal - which makes it worth it in your eyes. Your friend meets you in your apartment to fill you in on the details.

Duke, your aforementioned friend, is around forty years old, with grizzled features and a black goatee. He shaves his head in order to look tougher. You met on a job - he was on the other side. You managed to incapacitate him, and had a laugh about it when you saw him at your favorite bar the next day. Your friendship grew from there and now he occasionally slips jobs your way.

"Now, Sasha," he says, "This job is a little tricky. And trust me, I owe you one for taking it for me. I'll pay you back sometime. So listen, here's the deal. You gotta take these papers (here he pulls a sheaf of papers from a folder and hands them to you) to a guy who's gonna be waiting on the roof of the EnviCom building down on fifth. One thing he was very clear about - you gotta use the bridges to get there. He didn't want you seen on the street, for whatever reason. The payout's big, though. 20,000 Drachmas, all yours. Think you're up for it?"

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: "That's my boy, you've made my day. One thing I should mention - there's a couple of secondary objectives, but the guy didn't tell me what they were. Told me I should give you this (he hefts a small black box with a sling and an earpiece that you recognize as a Combat Coordinator, a pocket AI designed for the battlefield) to fill you in. One last thing - you should probably use some armor for this job. I know you don't have any laying around, so I brought one of my flak vests for you. Yeah, I know, it's not much, but it's better than nothing. Take care, man." With this, he hands you the combat coordinator and the flak vest and leaves.

[Brik] Olothontor: Alright. I'll don the vest, but wait to put on the Combat Coordinator until I'm closer to the bridges.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Sounds good. You put on the vest - it's a little tight but you know it's good protection. You head on up to the roof of the building, a place you've never been before, and are immediately struck by how bright it is. Oh god, is it bright. The skyscrapers and cityscape of Luna are a nearly blinding white in color. The air is sweet and fresh. In the distance, you can hear birds singing, as well as the scream of a jet as it flies overhead. From further away, you can hear the distinctive 'whop-whop-whop' of a helicopter. It's a beautiful day, perfect conditions. You feel alive.

=== Informational Note: The 'bridges' of Luna are erected by squatting residents who live on the roofs of buildings. They are usually constructed of wood and span from one building to the next, allowing easy access. They're not very wide or safe, but on a good day they're passable.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S Directional Note: Your building is equipped with these bridges. Your objective is to the north, approximately ten blocks away.

[Brik] Olothontor: How many bridges (approximately) between here and the EnviCom building?

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Assuming all bridges are intact and passable, 20.

[Brik] Olothontor: How much life is up here? Am I likely to encounter civvies or other innocents?

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You are unsure, having never been up on the roofs before. You have a suspicion you might run into repairmen of some sort or employees on a smoke break, but you don't know.

[Brik] Olothontor: Alright. Before I set out I'll take a look at the papers. Anything of interest?

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: They appear to be schematics of some sort. Make a Smarts roll.

[Brik] Olothontor: Pfft. 2-1 = 1

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You aren't sure what they're schematics of, you haven't seen anything like it before.

[Brik] Olothontor: All the pages are schematics, though?

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Yes. There's a bit of text on one page, but it's in a language you can't read.

[Brik] Olothontor: "Hmmph." I'll put on the Communicator, draw Bessie, and set out towards the EnviCom tower.

[Brik] Olothontor: I'll stash the pages somewhere out of sight, as well.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You stick the papers in your kit bag, draw bessie, and sling the Coordinator around your neck before plugging in the earphone, upon which time you are assailed by an incredibly loud voice.

Hi there! I'm Artie, your Combat Coordinator! Hopefully you can take better care of me than my last owner. What can I assist you with?

[Brik] Olothontor: "Hmm. Are you aware of my situation, Artie?"

[Brik] Olothontor: (P.S. Have I used one of these before?)

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: No, but you've read about them and generally know how they work.

I sure am, USER-004! I have been apprised of your situation and have been instructed to inform you of addition objectives for your current mission! Your PRIMARY OBJECTIVE (you aren't sure how he can speak in caps, but you got that distinct impression) is to deliver confidential materials to the roof of the EnviCom building. Your SECONDARY OBJECTIVE is to perform reconaissance on a small gang, the 'Red Eyes' currently encamped on the roof of the Murata building, and, if possible, recover a stolen cache of grenades that they have illegally obtained. All caution and stealth is encouraged. Your TERTIARY OBJECTIVE is to perform a sweep of the Bursebo building and terminate any non-Bursebo personnel present there. Do you require directions, USER-004?

[Brik] Olothontor: "Uh. Yes. To all of those places... first, let's go to the Bursebo. Bessie likes the sound o' that one."

[Brik] Olothontor: "Also... call me Sasha, if you don't mind."

Right you are, Sasha! From your current position...(a whirring noise)...the Bursebo building is four blocks to the west. Recommended mode of transport: via helicopter.

You do have a helicopter, right?

[Brik] Olothontor: "Hah! I wish, Artie, I wish. Are the rooftop bridges part of your map, Artie?"

They are, although they are not the recommended mode of transport. (he sounds petulant)

[Brik] Olothontor: "Hey, I'm with you there. Listen, unless you can pull a helicopter out of your little black box, I'm strapped for other options. Can we get a move on?"

You're the boss, Sasha. Four blocks to the west.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: With that, you begin your trek over the roofs. You are stopped, however, two blocks from your starting position, when you are confronted by a missing bridge. The first two feet of it jut out from the side of the building, but the rest are nowhere to be found. In the building opposite the one you're on, a medium-sized crater is punched through a part of the top floor. You might be able to jump into it with a running start.

[Brik] Olothontor: "Any progress on that helicopter of yours, Artie? Hehe." I'll take a few paces back, and see if I can't leap across the gap.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Make a Brawn roll.

[Brik] Olothontor: 6+1=7

[Brik] Olothontor: Oh, wait

[Brik] Olothontor: 6's explode, yes?

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: They do.

[Brik] Olothontor: alright, make that total 8, then

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Arms pumping, you sprint across the roof, onto the first bit of the bridge and make a titanic leap. You close your eyes so as to not see what is possibly your early end coming towards them at a fast clip, and your ears ring with Artie's...I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS-[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: After what felt like an eternity, your feet touch the ground. You crack open your eyes and see the inside of the crater. Artie says, sheepishly...Oh, we're not dead. Good jump.

[Brik] Olothontor: "Have a little faith, Artie. You'll need it with me. Where to next? Same direction?"

I am unsure, as the plans of this building are proprietary information that I do not have access to, and it seems to be damaged by whatever caused this crater. You are in the top floor, however, and there should be stairs somewhere. I suggest we head towards them. 89% probability for cause of crater: Meteorite.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You survey the crater. It's not that big, maybe five feet cubed. No signs of a meteorite anywhere. It's torn up the room pretty bad, though, but as you look out into the hall, the building looks deserted. Maybe they just didn't notice.

[Brik] Olothontor: "I was under the impression we had some form of protection from this sort of thing. Very interesting."

[Brik] Olothontor: I'll head on down into the building and look for the stairwell as Artie speaks.

Every year, approximately three and a half meteors of various size get through the various defenses in place.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You head out into the hallway and are then required to make a Search check, which is a Smarts skill.

[Brik] Olothontor: 4-1 = 3

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: As you turn out into the hallway, you catch a glimpse of a dark object disappearing around the corner to the right. You couldn't really tell what it was, however.

[b][BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Are you making any special effort to be sneaky, or are you just rushing down the hall?

[Brik] Olothontor: aah, yes. That was in the objective description. I suppose I'll give it a shot, although I don't see it going well.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Never know. That calls for a Stealth check, a Quickness skill.

[Brik] Olothontor: Oooh! I was unaware that this was a Q! test

[Brik] Olothontor: alright, 4+3=7

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You tiptoe up the hallway and peek around the corner. You are confronted by the sight of an incredibly broad back. The owner of this back appears to be quite muscular and is wearing a long black cloak. He has a pistol in a holster on his hip and a short sword in his hand. I require two Smarts checks.

[Brik] Olothontor: #1: 3-1 = 2

[Brik] Olothontor: #2: 4-1 = 3

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Artie pipes up...

I have no information about that sword, but the handgun he's carrying is a Tachi. .45 caliber, unique for a handgun in that it has fully-automatic capability. Small magazine, though.

Further, while I am unsure as to whether this individual is actively hostile or not, he seems to be fairly well-armed and not part of the building staff, if there is any anymore. Make of that what you will.

[Brik] Olothontor: Nod to Artie, aim, and fire.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You sight down Bessie and fire. You are within optimum range. Roll to hit.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You are rolling your skill with Handguns vs. the UR.

[Brik] Olothontor: Ah, I see

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You are, as a matter of fact, guaranteed a hit, but you might roll a 1.

[Brik] Olothontor: 6+3 (explode) +3 (skill) = 12 total

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: The UR is 4, you rolled a 12, and therefore will garner an 8-damage bonus to your damage roll.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Damage in this case will be 1d6+9.

[Brik] Olothontor: Damage = 4+1+8 = 13

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: He is visibly staggered, but does not fall. He turns around to face you and lets out an inhuman roar, and you notice that he is even more muscular than you thought, his head bears a small pair of horns, he is covered in a thick crustacean-like shell, and his eyes glow with a malign red light. Roll Snap for initiative.

[Brik] Olothontor: 3+1 = 4

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You have won the initiative and may begin your turn.

[Brik] Olothontor: Teehee. Sucker.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Well, he did roll a zero.

[Brik] Olothontor: So, I get as many actions as I can spend Speed! on?

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Yes. One point to move, two to fire, in your case two to reload.

[Brik] Olothontor: Austensibly, I could fire my gun 3 times?

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: If you so desired, yes.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You could actually fire it 4 times, assuming you don't run out of ammo along the line somewhere.

[Brik] Olothontor: This is true

[Brik] Olothontor: Do you want my actions one at a time, or would you like a list that we can run down?

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You hit him twice! Roll damage for the first one.

[Brik] Olothontor: 2+1 = 3

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Don't forget, we're adding the margin of success from your skill rolls on to damage. That's a 6, I believe, instead.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: The buckshot pounds into his chest, but he refuses to go down. Also, the UR is 4.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Now for your second attack roll, you got a bonus of +1 to damage here.

[Brik] Olothontor: Alright. 5+3+1 = 9

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: He is hit in the head and staggers back. He flops down against the wall and is still. The light in his eyes slowly goes out.

[Brik] Olothontor: "Any idea what the hell that thing was, Artie?"

It appeared to be a mutant. Horns, a carapace, and what I'm assuming was some sort of night vision capacity by the lighted eyes. From the level of mutation, it was likely Venusian.

[Brik] Olothontor: "Interesting." Now, in a fit of stereotypical RPG likeness... I loot the body!

[Brik] Olothontor: I probably leave his gun behind, but the sword is of some interest.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You find three Drachmas in a pocket. Artie chimes in...

Now that I have had more time to analyze it, this sword is likely monomolecular - its edge is one molecule wide, granting it an uncommon sharpness. Be careful with that thing. I hope you have a scabbard handy.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You carry on and reach the Bursebo building. Artie pipes up once you have arrived...

You have reached the Bursebo building. Your current objective: Sweep the roof and terminate any non-Bursebo personnel present.

[Brik] Olothontor: "Thanks. Any hints on the difference between employee and non-employee, by any chance?"

Perhaps the employees will be wearing uniforms and not carrying weapons. I am unsure.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You make your way around the roof. It appears to be completely deserted. You walk over to the edge, opposite the stairwell, and look down. You're suddenly engrossed in the tiny ants on the street below - you can't begin to imagine how many stories up you are. All of a sudden, the door to the stairwell bursts open.

[Brik] Olothontor: Lever Bessie on the door, but refrain from shooting until I know who/what it is.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You spin around and see a tall, darkish man in blue street clothes. He looks innocuous, but then you notice that he is carrying an assault rifle and a long sniper rifle is slung across his back. He takes one look at you and turns to run. I need two Smarts checks and a Snap check.

[Brik] Olothontor: Smarts! #1: 4-1 = 3

[Brik] Olothontor: Smarts #2: 6+3-1 = 8

[Brik] Olothontor: Snap!: 3+1 = 4

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Artie decides to chime in...

He for example, probably does not work for Bursebo (97%). Note the assault rifle - that's a HRV ZR36c. Pretty run-of-the-mill. 9mm rounds. But that sniper rifle is a piece of work. Buraku-Nigai Mosok41L, the sniper variant of the Mosok-Nigai MBR. Be a little difficult to use at close range like this, but it's superb at long.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Your superb Smarts roll has entitled you to a piece of knowledge on the sniper rifle. Select either UR, Range, Damage, or Specialties.

[Brik] Olothontor: Hmm. Gimme a Specialty, if you would please.

The Mosok41L is classified as Heavy, is Armor-Piercing, but suffers from the High Ammo Consumption fault.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Your Snap roll entitles you to two Speed in reaction to his appearance in the door.

[Brik] Olothontor: Hmm. I was going to reserve it for Dodge! on his round, but that's a little bit out-of-character. I fire a round.

[Brik] Olothontor: Rolling UR...

[Brik] Olothontor: 2+3 = 5

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: He is hit. You garner a +1 bonus to your damage roll.

[Brik] Olothontor: Holy crap. 6+5+1+1 = 13

[Brik] Olothontor: I love exploding dice.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: He is quite staggered and is knocked back a few steps before raking you with his assault rifle. I need one armor roll.

[Brik] Olothontor: Ack, rolled a 1.

[Brik] Olothontor: The total is 4, if it matters.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You feel the round like a punch to the gut, but unbelievably, it is stopped by your flak vest. You take no damage. His second shot in the burst misses, and he turns to run, disappearing into the building, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

[Brik] Olothontor: Damn. The chase is on!

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You pursue, then? Roll Snap for initiative.

[Brik] Olothontor: 2+1 = 3

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You rush down into the building, He is at the end of the hallway, aiming down his sniper rifle. He must have moved very quickly. It is your turn, you have 4 Speed left. He is about 8 squares away.

[Brik] Olothontor: I'm presuming the end of the hall is outside of Bessie's range of 10?

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Actually, no, he is 8 squares away, the actual end of the hallway (in a wall) is 9.

[Brik] Olothontor: Alright, perfect.

[Brik] Olothontor: In that case I fire one round and then reserve the other two to Dodge! the incoming sniper round, if possible.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You may. Roll to hit.

[Brik] Olothontor: 2+3 = 5, once again.

[Brik] Olothontor: 2 appears to be my magic number.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: +1 to damage, you know the drill.

[Brik] Olothontor: 5+1+1 = 7

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: He does not appear to be hurt. Artie speaks...

I recommend you find some sort of cover.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: But the sniper fires before you have a chance to. A round ricochets off the door behind you. You duck reflexively. He works the bolt and aims again, and fires. The bullet is coming straight at you! Roll to dodge.

[Brik] Olothontor: 6+5+1 = 12

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You get down just in time and the bullet flies past you. Grimacing, he works the bolt again and fires. The window to the office to your right shatters. You hear a surprised yell from within. It is now your turn.

A short debate on the method with which I should slay the man, and then...

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: All right, you run all the way up to him while he's frantically trying to draw a bead on your bobbing and weaving body and swing your Monomol sword in a mighty arc. Roll 3d6+5.

[Brik] Olothontor: 4+2+1+5 = 12

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: He is, to put it delicately, cleft in twain. Artie speaks...

Hell of a swing, Sasha. I think you just completed that objective.

[Brik] Olothontor: "Good to know, Artie. We should leave before we have an audience." I'll shameleslly pilfer the sniper rifle and the sling he was using to keep it on his back.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: The guy in the office peeks around the door with wide eyes, and then quickly darts back into his office. The door slams and locks.

[Brik] Olothontor: Head back out to the rooftop, and ask Artie which direction I'll need to head in for the nearest objective.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You head onto the rooftop. Artie makes that whirring noise again and replies...

The 'Red Eyes' camp is six buildings away to the south. Your main objective is approximately 13 buildings away to the northeast. I would recommend that you head towards the camp.

[Brik] Olothontor: "Camp it is." I head South, following the bridges.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: It's a fairly uneventful walk. You almost fell off one of the bridges but retained your balance just in time. Artie had a nice little chuckle at that, though. Within two buildings of the camp, you pause for a bit, as you can see moving figures far off in the camp. You can't make it out well enough on your own, though, maybe if you had some magnification you could tell what was happening.

[Brik] Olothontor: I whip out the sniper rifle and use the scope to gain a good view of the camp's inhabitants and the surroundings.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Through the sniper rifle, you can see a motley crew of what seem to be your average, run-of-the-mill gangers, six in total. Two sit alone around a campfire, while four huddle outside of their view behind a tent pitched in the middle of the roof. One at the campfire appears to be the leader by his extravagant clothing, while the one sitting with him has a thick coat of fur and four glowing eyes. As for the four off on their own, one of them has two heads and is talking very vehemently, or so it would appear, to the others. Another one has an extraordinarily thick throat. Artie speaks...

I would presume that the cache of grenades is hidden in the tent.

[Brik] Olothontor: "Thanks." What kind of weaponry are we looking at amongst the gang members?

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: The leader has a bullpup SMG of some sort, while the mutant sitting with him has a handgun in a holster. Out of the other four, three appear to have pistols and one has a longarm of some kind.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Four smarts checks, if you like.

[Brik] Olothontor: Haha. Sure, as long as I'm standing here considering the lot of them. I'm bound to make a few of those.

[Brik] Olothontor: #1: 1-1 = zip

[Brik] Olothontor: #2: 3-1 = 2

[Brik] Olothontor: #3 and #4: 4-1 = 3

[Brik] Olothontor: Maybe not, haha.

I'm not sure about the leader's SMG or that mutant's pistol, but the two-headed one over there has a Sanjuro MPN-45. It's a pistol, but that one he's got has a folding stock you probably can't see at this distance. It doesn't pack much of a punch, though. And that other guy's rifle is a Murata Supa7 shotgun.

[Brik] Olothontor: "Not a terribly complex bunch. I like 'em. Too bad I probably don't have a terribly good idea of how to use this rifle... never used one before."

Given that I don't have hands, I can't be sure, but I think you look through the scope, put the little dot on a target, and then pull that trigger thing. I dunno, though.

[Brik] Olothontor: "Thanks, smartass. Though, now that you point it out... what's the worst that can happen, eh?" I'll put a bead on the extravagantly dressed one and see if I can't put a round through his chest (bracing it first, of course).

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You gaze through the scope and are about to fire on the leader when, all of a sudden, the four behind the tent clasp hands, unlimber their weapons, and advance around the tent towards the two at the fire. The mutant sees them and pushes the leader down out of the way, then draws his pistol and fires at them, sending one with a handgun down. The others return fire, and the mutant and leader run and take cover behind what looks like an air conditioning unit.

[Brik] Olothontor: "Artie? What's happening here? Mutany?"

That is what appears to be happening. Current projection is 51% victory to the leader and his mate, given their superior weapons.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Just then, another ganger with a handgun goes down, dispatched by the SMG.

[Brik] Olothontor: "Very interesting. I suppose I'll play the janitor for this one. Clean up the leftovers."

That may be a good idea. However, the leader and his helper may look favorable upon an offer of assistance and provide monetary incentive or other items.

[Brik] Olothontor: "Hmm. Good point. don't have much time to consider, but if you're wrong, I can kill them all the same." I put my sight on the two-headed one and lay into him with a round.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Make a Rifles roll. That's Quickness -1, UR 6.

[Brik] Olothontor: (in other words, most likely will not work)

[Brik] Olothontor: ... Especially if I roll a 1 like I just did.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Artie chimes in with...

Perhaps the sniper you took that off of should have reloaded it. Do you require assistance with that?

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: You can reload and fire again if you wish, you've got enough Speed. As this happens, the one with the shotgun rushes the leader and shoots. The leader is knocked back and appears to be hurt, but the shotgunner is quickly dispatched by the mutant.

[Brik] Olothontor: "Running out of targets. They're good at what they do." I'll reload it and fire again.

[Brik] Olothontor: 4+3-1 = 6

[Brik] Olothontor: just made it

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Your bullet flies straight and true and strikes the ganger in the left head. Roll 2d6 for damage.

[Brik] Olothontor: 5+3= 8

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: His head explodes in a shower of gore and he falls back. His other head babbles senselessly and he begins to twitch. After a while, he becomes still. The mutant gazes wildly around for the location of the shot and finally sees you off in the distance. He makes a 'come-hither' gesture.

[Brik] Olothontor: "Well, that got their attention. I think I like this gun." I'll move down the other two buildings and into the camp.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: As you approach, the mutant eyes you cautiously before stating "That was a fine shot, stranger. Thanks for helping us."

[Brik] Olothontor: "I'll need to agree with you, there. Never shot a sniper rifle before. There's a first for everything, eh?"

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: "Indeed. It was good fortune you were around, otherwise we would have been overrun." He glances over at the leader, who is lying on the ground in a small puddle of blood. "Say, stranger, are you any good at medicine?"

[Brik] Olothontor: "Ah... afraid not." I'll tear off a bit of my shirt, though, and do my best to at least bandage the wound.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Make a medicine check.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: The mutant stands anxiously over you, watching.

[Brik] Olothontor: Smarts! yeah?

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Yeah. -1 for untrained.

[Brik] Olothontor: Ooh, -2 total! Woohoo.

[Brik] Olothontor: Awesome. 6+4-2 = 8

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: He immediately sits up, looks up at you, and says, "That was a hell of a bandage, son." The mutant lets out an audible sigh of relief.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: The leader continues. "Now, I'm not sure what you're doing here or who you are, but you've got our debt. I'm Modesto 14X Goodyear, and he's Righty, because he's my right-hand man. Listen, I've gotta repay you for this. You probably saved my life. Righty ain't no good with medicine, and, well, I don't bet I could get into a hospital. Take your pick of those bastards' guns if you like, and there's a cache of grenades in the tent that's yours if you want it."

[Brik] Olothontor: "That sounds like a deal to me." I'll offer him my hand and help him off the ground. "Call me Sasha. Sasha Khurev. If you ever need anything else, come find me."

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: "Will do. Here's my card." He hands you a small ID card with his phone number on it. "Oh, and by the way...if you're interested, I could use a few good men for my...uh...posse. You see, those bastards over there couldn't be trusted. You, you're a different kind of guy. You want in, you got it. You could be...you could be Lefty!"

[Brik] Olothontor: "Hehe. I'll consider it and give you a call later. Right now, I've got a job to finish up. If you don't mind, gentlemen, I'll be on my way."

[Brik] Olothontor: I'll leave the guns, heft the crate, and head towards the EnviCom Tower with Artie's directions.

[Brik] Olothontor: I have enough of an arsenal already, haha.

[BriK]Ragdoll.F-in-S: Sounds good. And there is where we must unfortunately close for this evening.

Kudos to anybody who read all of that. I wasn't sure what the highlights of the session were, so I just posted the whole thing. Feel free to leave comments. More is on the way! We've scheduled a second session for next week at the same time, so next weekend I should be posting log #2. If you're interested, keep an eye out for that!